Skeet range takes flack

Several residents of the Trepanier area filled the Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) chambers Monday, concerned about a skeet shooting range and an RV park proposed for the area.

The application was submitted by the Central Okanagan Shotgun Sports Club to Front Counter BC.

That provincial agency in turn forwarded the application to the RDCO for comment.

"I think there was a bit of miscommunication. They (residents) thought it was re-zoning when in fact it wasn't," says RDCO communications director, Bruce Smith.

The regional board has recommended the province not approve the application until such time as the club has submitted a re-zoning application.

"By doing so the board feels that, should they apply for re-zoning and should it get past first reading, then there would be a public hearing and an opportunity for property owners to make their views known about the proposed land use," says Smith.

Residents of the upper Trepanier area, where the 23.22-hectare facility is proposed for Crown Land, were upset they had not been informed of the application until now.

Smith says because it was a referral and not a rezoning application, public consultation was not required.

He says that would be part of the public hearing process if the application makes it that far.

While the board has recommended the application not be approved at the present time, Smith cautions the province does not have to adhere to those comments.

While the board has made its comments known, Smith says the province can listen to all, some or none of those comments.

The club is asking for a 30-year lease for the property located on the north side of the Okanagan Connector just above most of the development of the Trepanier Road area.

Comments on this story are pre-moderated and approval times may vary. Before they appear, comments are reviewed by moderators to ensure they meet our submission guidelines. Keep it clean, keep it civil, keep it truthful, stay on topic and be responsible. Comments are open and welcome for three days after the story is published. We reserve the right to close comments before then. Comments that appear on the site are not the opinion of Castanet, but only of the comment writer.